Here come the wild animals!  Watch out! 
No, for once, I am not talking about my kids, LOL.  I am talking about Schleich‘s new Wild Animals!  Schleich, makers of the super-high-quality line of German-made toys, have just come out with some fabulous new products.  I had the pleasure of seeing their products at NY Toy Fair, and had to resist the urge to sit and play with them!  (They really took their time with the set-ups for these, I really did want to sit and play, haha….sometimes you can take the girl out of the Pre-K, but you can’t take the Pre-K out of the girl!) 

I understand why so many people collect them.  We bought two of the Schleich line for Little Man previously, this horse and also a cow, which was “borrowed” by a friend, but not returned so far, haha.  He has had them for over a year, and as you can tell from the horse- there are no signs of wear and tear.  They were kept in his “to go” bag, and used at restaurants, parties, long car rides, etc.

Now we have some new ones- and they even match his new room decor!  I have heard these described as “collectibles” and while I do think they are great collections- they can sure handle play!  They are built German tough.   They are also so, so detailed (be prepared for some questions about the boy animals!  LOL) that they seem to have expressions and thoughts going on, don’t you think?  Really life-like.  They have amazing correctness and attention to detail in their bodies, muscle tone, size, anatomy, everything! 
We stopped home on the way out one day- and guess what was waiting there!  We received- Buffalo Calf, Buffalo, Warthog Boar, Warthog piglet, Warthog sow, Lion, and Lion cub playing.  Of course, we had to take a few with us.  I gave him only the Lion and Lion Cub Playing to bring that day, because I thought they would be his favorites.  But Little Man has really surprised me, and has insisted on taking the Warthog Family just about everywhere.  (By the way, thank goodness his car seat tray table has those little bags on the sides, because that is where the Warthogs stay while we are at school, LOL….don’t want them to get lost bringing them in every day!  They are in one side of the tray, Cooper is on the other!) 
Go figure.
(Literally!)

The first day, right after opening them up

Out and about with the lions!

My Little Man really likes his new Schleich toys, and I really like the quality and durability that they have.  Yay for everyone is happy!  We have bought this brand before, and will buy again.  Really, isn’t that when you know it’s a winner?  
Speaking of winners- one lucky winner from Have Sippy Will Travel will receive this exact set of toys to add to their Schleich collection.  Don’t have one yet?  Perfect time to start one! 
Want it to be you?  Here is how to enter!

Mandatory entry

You must be a public follower on Google Friend Connect.
Leave me your email so I can contact you if you win. 

Oh ZipBins, how I love thee!  LOL
So, you all know of my undying love for ZipBins, yes?   The uber-cool carry cases/storage for toys that also double for a play mat?  (Sigh- love!)  Now Manhatten Toy has teamed up with ZipBins to create a really cute toy for boys, called Boysterous Action Figures.
My Little Man loved, loved, loved them.  He was so excited when they came out of the box, and called “video game boys” (because they look like character’s in his friend’s Leapster sports game.)  
I love that they come in a convenient carry case, and we can bring them wherever.  Since they are not based on actual sports stars, they are not going to have negative associations that they come with, either, and they are just “normal” people.  I like that a lot.  Just normal kids, playing normal, fun sports.  LOVE it.  It can be tough to find toys that are not just advertisements for celebrities or movies, and while Little Man loves to play with toys that are friends from his favorite movies and TV shows- sometimes it is really refreshing to play with toys that have no association with anything, and can let their imagination start fresh.  


We brought our Boystrous toys out with us last weekend to a bruch for my grandma’s birthday party.  They kept my Little Man entertained the whole 4+ hours we were there- after missing his nap, too!


It awesome that the ZipBin not only carries the toys, but also is both a skate park on one side, and a soccar field on the other.  Yay for versatility!  Not to mention getting more for your dollar.  
These toys are magnetic, so the board sticks to their feet, as does the soccer ball.  Hands are also magnetic!  

We also play with them at home, of course!  🙂 

The Boysterous™ action figure line is the newest, edgy, addition to Manhattan Toy. Boys all over have anticipated the arrival of this exciting new collection. Rambunctious, but not rowdy, these boys are a new twist on action figures. The Boysterous boys are here and ready to play! “It’s the perfect gift for boys ages 3-8. Action figures based on real kids – not over-hyped, over-paid sports stars, or characters filled with violence and other material inappropriate for small boys.”
There are five sports themed action figures in all: hockey, skateboarding, snowboarding, soccer and football. These exciting sports themed action figures are fun to pose as they go zipping and zooming all-around their adaptable Zip-Bin® playing field and park action sports.
Each action packed figure comes with their own sports equipment: hockey puck and stick, skateboard, snowboard, soccer ball and football. Magnetized feet and hand allow each action figure to grab their gear. Boys can collect all five for lots of exhilaration and sports fun!
PRODUCT DETAILS:
NAME: Slap Shot Sam, Touchdown Dylan, Shredding Sean, Goalie Gavin, Half Pipe Pete
PRICE: $17
Age: 3+
Size: 3’’L x 2’’W x 8.5’’H
Launch Date: Jan 2011

PRODUCT DETAILS:
NAME: Extreme Sports Zone™ ZipBin
Show-off Boysterous sports moves with the dual sided Extreme Sports Zone play environment. This ZipBin unfolds into a 3-in-1 sports field that combines features for football, soccer and hockey games – then flip and zip to the other side to convert into a half pipe ramp! Also folds and zips up into a carrying case with an easy grab handle.

Want to enter to win your own Manhatten Toys Boystrous toys?
Here is how to enter

Mandatory entry
 
You must be a public follower on Google Friend Connect.
Leave me your email so I can contact you if you win. 

Have you guys ever played with Moon Dough?  It is this strange, marshmallow-y stuff that you can mold into shapes, build with, and in general make a pretty interesting creation.  This is a new “recipe” for Moon Dough as well- it is less grainy and has less of a smell (almost no smell) then older Moon Dough. 
Moon Dough is an amazing molding compound unlike anything you have ever seen before. Launched last
fall, Moon Dough became an instant hit. It is soft and marshmallow-like, cleans up easily, and never dries
out so you can use it again and again. Moon Dough is the latest and greatest molding compound that kids
love to make their own fun creations!

My Little Man and Daddy just tried out the new Moon Dough Magic Zoo, and they had a good time figuring it out!  The idea is that you put the Moon Dough into one of the 3 provided animal molds (penguin, gorilla, or bear) and then you place it into the slot.  Then you crank the handle, lowering it onto the “legs”, and POP!  It opens up, and The animal walks right out.  It is really pretty neat how the whole thing works.  It is a little difficult to use for small kids, so let an older sibling or parent help out.  Also, for those of you unfamiliar with Moon Dough, but wanting to try it out- use it on a smooth, flat surface, because Moon Dough is hard to get out of tile grout, and nearly impossible to get out of carpets.  Pretty much like all art supplies and molding toys.  LOL.  (DO NOT get Moon Dough wet to clean up!  You can pick it up with a ball of Moon Dough, or vacuum it up dry.)  It didn’t work every time, but it was fun when it did.  The Moon Dough animal popping out, all by itself, and walking away was awesome.  It was really exciting for him!  There are only 2 leg sets and 3 animal molds, which annoyed Little Man to no end, LOL.  We remedied that by taking a different wind up toy we had and gently placing the Moon Dough Bear on top of it.  (So it had dog legs!  Best I could do!  Haha.) 

Here is a little more information about the Moon Dough Magic Zoo-

Life in the Zoo is always on the move with
Moon Dough’s easy life-like moldings. Just
place your Moon Dough into the magic
molding Zoo and watch as 1 of 3 animals
magically comes to life and walk out! When
you can pet animals this soft and fluffy,
there’s no way you’ll ever want to leave!

Package Includes:
• 1 Magic Molding Zoo
• 2 Winder Walkers
• 3 Animal Molds
• 1 Fence Mold
• 3 Colors of Moon Dough

Want to win a Moon Dough Magic Zoo to try out?
Here is how to enter!
Mandatory entry
 
You must be a public follower on Google Friend Connect.
Leave me your email so I can contact you if you win. 

Yay for stuffed animals! 
My Little Man is a HUGE stuffed animal lover, much like his momma always was.  He looks so much like his daddy, but in some ways, he is so very much my son, LOL.  The two of us can be in a stuffed animal or gift store for well over an hour, annoying people that we are with (Daddy) because we like to look at EVERY stuffed toy.  Over the summer, for the first time, I heard of a company called Douglas Cuddle Toys.  I know, right?  Where was I, under a rock?  I saw Douglas Cuddle Toys for the first time on a blog!  And I had to, HAD TO show my Little Man.  On this occasion, I (of course!) had to let my son get one, they were just so cute and irresistible.  He chose to get this adorable little puppy, Muggins.  Look at that face!

The detail in Douglas Cuddle Toys is amazing, especially when you consider the price!  (The puppy was only $20.99.  It is really nice quality, soft, well made, and for real, do I even need to say how cute it is???)  We looked at that website for almost an hour and a half before he chose the puppy.  I wanted to go to the nearest store that carried them, but it was 3 hours away. How much fun would that have been?  Sigh.  Virtual shopping it is!  🙂 
Since then, we also bought him this Douglas dragon, and a small chick for a gift for his little friend at school.  (I have since seen them in person, on a roadside stop on the way to Chicago, completely on accident!)

I also had the extreme pleasure of seeing their booth at NY Toy Fair.  I was so excited, I really do love their stuffed toys.  And guess who was on top of the display?  Muggins!  LOL.  I showed Little Man the photos when I got home, and he wondered how I got his puppy there and back without his knowing.  Haha, to be 3!

Now, I get to introduce this fantastic company to you!  With their wonderful details, adorable faces, huggable and cuddley-soft bodies- Douglas Cuddle Toys are both aptly named and one of my favorite brands of stuffed toy.  I hope they will be one of yours, as well!
Little Man was sent this DREAMY OCTOPUS to review- he was very excited to receive it, because he loves sea creatures, and they are hard to find in stuffed animals!  It is sparkly, purple, and fluffy, which annoys daddy, LOL, but to his 3 year old self makes it seem like it is floating in the shiny water.  He picked it out!  Can you tell he loves it?

One of you lucky ducks will also be able to try out your very own Douglas Cuddle Toy!
Want to start or add to your collection?  (I’m telling you, these are like chips- you can’t have just one Douglas!)
Here is how to enter!!!


 Mandatory entry
 
You must be a public follower on Google Friend Connect.
Leave me your email so I can contact you if you win.  


Please let me know which Toy (by name) that you like best- not mentioned above.